Freelance Chef Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

ZATV is home to some of Gen Z and Gen Alpha’s favorite YouTube networks. Tune in to our channels—including React, People vs. Food, Brat TV, Kids Learning Tube, Crypt TV, and more—for original programming featuring some of the Internet’s biggest stars.

Across our portfolio of brands, we create engaging, digital-first entertainment for today’s audiences. To learn more about ZATV, our brands, and programming, visit https://www.zatv.com/.

ZATV is looking for an experienced Culinary Production Cook with strong cooking and baking skills to help bring recipes to life across our culinary programming.

The ideal candidate has a strong professional culinary background and is comfortable executing a wide variety of recipes in a fast-paced production environment. This person should be organized, resourceful, and confident managing multiple dishes at once while maintaining consistency, quality, and presentation.

In addition to cooking and baking, this role will support recipe testing, ingredient sourcing, food preparation, plating, and on-camera food presentation. A strong eye for food styling and an ability to troubleshoot quickly during production are highly valued.

This is a freelance, on-site position reporting directly to the Culinary Producer. The majority of productions are filmed at our Burbank studios.

Rate: $21-23/HR, based on experience.

• Cook and bake a wide variety of recipes for production while maintaining consistency, quality, and accuracy.
• Execute recipes efficiently and troubleshoot as needed within production timelines.
• Collaborate with the Culinary Producer to test, adjust, and refine recipes based on creative and production needs.
• Create shopping lists, source ingredients, prep food, and organize culinary needs in advance of shoots.
• Manage multiple dishes and recipes simultaneously while staying on schedule.
• Plate and style food for on-camera presentation, including visually appealing food and “beauty” shots.
• Maintain an organized, clean, and production-ready kitchen throughout shoots.
• Properly store, label, and handle ingredients and prepared food in accordance with food safety standards.
• Assist the Culinary Producer with tracking production-related expenses and accurately organizing and reconciling receipts.
• Communicate proactively with the Culinary Producer and production team regarding timing, ingredient needs, substitutions, or other culinary considerations.
• Adapt quickly to production changes and remain calm and solutions-oriented in a fast-paced studio environment.
• Collaborate effectively with culinary, production, creative, and other cross-functional teams on set.
• Perform additional ad hoc duties and responsibilities as assigned.

• 3+ years of professional cooking and/or baking experience in a restaurant, catering, test kitchen, private chef, production, or similar professional culinary environment.
• Strong cooking and baking fundamentals with the ability to confidently execute a wide variety of recipes.
• Experience in culinary production, catering, food styling, or on-set environments is a plus but not required.
• Strong recipe execution skills with the ability to adapt, problem-solve, and troubleshoot under time constraints.
• Experience with plating and food presentation; experience styling food for photo or video is preferred.
• Strong organizational and time-management skills, including the ability to coordinate prep, ingredient sourcing, and production timelines.
• Ability to manage multiple recipes and competing priorities simultaneously without sacrificing quality.
• Working knowledge of kitchen safety, food handling, sanitation, and proper food storage practices.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills.
• Detail-oriented, resourceful, flexible, and able to remain composed under pressure.
• Comfortable working on-site in a fast-paced studio and production environment.

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